Cast metal hopper for railway cars



- Jan. 19, 1932.. P. w. KIEFER 1,341,480

CAST METAL HOPPER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 9111111X? er Jan. 1-9, 1932. P. w. KIEFER 1,841,480.

CAST METAL HOPPER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenio P2111 WEE/Er flfiornej Patented Jan. 19, 1932 IUNWE STATES ATENT; OFFICE,

:PAULW. KIEEER, NEW YORK, v. Y., ii ssrcnvonlor one-HALF T0 EDWIN r. MOSES,.0F

' wirrrn PLAINS, NEW YORK v CAST METAL norrnn ronnAiLwAY cans Application filed January 27,1930. Serial No. 423,814.'

By nature oftheir requirements'railway freight train cars areout of doors substantially all of the time, therefore, are subjected tocorrosive action of the elements, and while paint and other nonporrosive coatings have been applied to the car parts,such protection notonly hasbeen found to ;be expensive in' time: and money, but the lading removes the coating. This is particularly wet coal, which form sulphuric acid, and saline water (in refrigerator and stock cars) cause rolled steellor-iron to corrode.. On account of its increased strength rolled steel in the form of plates and bars has supplanted wood in car construction butwthecorrosive action of the elementsieats away the rolled steel or ironmaterial reducing their strength and theirlengthof life. This applies to both the load carrying members,such as the sills, plates and diaphragms and also tothe lading retainingmembers, such as side and end 5 walls, floors, hoppers,,hopper doors, etci' .It

has been found that cast metal, particularly cast steel, has more than twlce the reslstance to corrosion than rolled steel, therefore, one of the objects of the invention is to make the car part of cast metal, preferably cast steel,

to enable the car part to resist corrosion, and furthermore, to produce: a construction wherein the metalzcanibe dlSPOSBd and POSI- tioned to accommodate the stresses set up by the car in service. Such a cast consrtuction necessitates a minimum amount of material for strength requirements.

Another object is. to eliminate the cost and delay infabricating the numerous component parts of the present structured steel car parts. i

. Another object of formingthe, car part of of the car.

cast metal is to eliminate the possibility of loose connections which would permit relative motion between the component parts of the carpart, as it is common knowledge that the vibration .ofthe car in motion, due, to

roughuand uneven track, and metal wheels rolling on steel rails, together with longer trains and high speeds in present day pract ce, cause riveted joints and built up sections to work loose and. the railroads look with favor upon any device which reduces the number of parts and joints, as these are the weak parts of the car and the more such weak parts are eliminated, the longer the life Another object tween the door and the frame surrounding the door opening by providing an integral one piece frame which is al vided with a rabbet.

In the drawings;

Figs. 1 and 2 show a plan and elevation respectlvely of a typical hopper according to vmy invention.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.1,

Fig. i on the lefthalf shows asectionon line H of Fig. 2 and onthe right half shows an end view of the hopper on line 5' 5 of 1 Figs. :5 and 6 show the attachmentof the hopper to the center sill.

sloping cross ridge lOand a dooropening 11.

The inner wall 7 is preferably substantially vertical and is positioned adjacent the outside of thecentersill 2, but is spaced aparttherefrom and provided with chipping pads 12:so

that when theupright flanges 13 on the oppov sitehoppers are rivet-ed together the distance betweenthe side sillrZ and the vertical wall 7 canzbe adjusted by chipping or grinding off the chipping pads. The rivets 14s securing the verticalwall togthe center sill preferably l is to obtain a close fit be so preferably prop Figs/T and8 show the attachment of the hopper to the side sill. l

extend through these chipping pads 12, as shown in Fig. 6. By this arrangement, a snug and tight fitis secured between the center sill 2 and the two hoppers (16-47) so that the tendency of the service movements of the car to loosen the connection betw-een'these elements is materially reduced.

The hopper is also preferably provided with supporting brackets 19 having substantially horizontal lower bearing surfaces which rest upon a horizontal portion 20 of the center sill 2. In the form illustrated the brackets rest upon the top flange 21 of the center sill channels so that the load of the-hopper and its lading is supported by the brackets 19 and not primarily by the rivets. Of course. the rivets cooperate to support a part of the load. I preferably do not fasten the brackets 19 .to the center sills so that as the rivets 14: connecting the hopper to the vertical wall 28 .are drawn tight the brackets merely slide over the horizontal surface of the center sill.

The attachment and support of the outer wall 8 of the hopper to the side sill 3 (or side wall 4) of the car is similar in function tothat described for the attachment and support of the-hopper to the center sill 2. In the form illustrated (see Figs. 7 and 8) the side sill 3 comprises an angle having an inwardly .projecting flange 22 providing a horizontal surface 23 upon which the bracket 2% rests and the upwardly extending flange 25 of the hopper is spaced apart from the verticalflangeQG of the side sill and provided with chipplng pads 27. The side wall sheet is attached to the side sill 3 and also to the hopper by the rivets 31.

The inner wall 7 of the hopper is extended to form a cover 85 for the center sill 2 which is positioned obliquely and merges into an 11pwardly extending flange 13 which is secured to the companion flange on the other hopper thus forming a protection for the rolledsteel center sills against the falling lading and corrosion and also providing a substantially unitary construction between the hoppers on opposite sides of the center sill construction. The sloping floor sheet 5 of the car is secured to the floor 9 of the hopper.

The cross ridge 10 is provided with an upwardly extending flange which is secured to the companion flange of the adjacent hopper. This cross ridge is also provided with a continuation of flange 4-2 secured to the side wall 4 .of the car.

The inner wall 7; the outer wall 8; the floor 9'andthe cross ridge 10 provide a frame for the door opening and as these members are integrally formed a very rigid door frame is provided. I preferably provide the lower and side portions of the door opening with a rabbet H-) for reception of the door.

I also provide an outwardly extending flange LT-a8 adjacent the door opening to further stiffen the hopper adjacent the door opening.

The hopper is reinforced by a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the inner wall 7, outer wall 8 and floor 9 and terminating adjacent the center sill 2 and side sill 3, respectively.

It ,is customary to pound the outer wall 8 of a hopper with sledges to loosen the load when it has become compact by the constant motion of the car in service or has frozen. Such sledgingdistorts, breaks and otherwise damages the hopper and therefore to protect the hopper I .cast integral therewith a plurality of preferably parallel ribs 52 which extend from adjacent the hopper floor 9 to adj acentthe side sill 3 ofthe-car, as shown in FigsQ and 9.

Any convenient form o'f door or .door operatingor locking mechanism may be .used with my hopper.

The accompanying drawings illustrate-the preferred found the invention, though it is to :be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. Ina railway car, 'tlldCOlllbillfltlOll of .a center sill having a substantially horizontal portion, and aunitary cast metal hopper comprising an-inside wall provided with supporting brackets resting upon said horizontal portion.

'2. In a railway car, the combination of ."a center sill having a substantially horizontal portion, a side sill having a substantially horizontal portion, and a unitary cast metal hopper comprising an inside wall and an outside wall, each provided with suppolting brackets resting upon said horizontal portions of the center and side sill respectively.

3. 111 a railway car, the combination of a center sill having a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion, and a unitary cast metal hopper comprising an inside Wall provided with supporting brackets resting upon said horizontal portion and provided with chipping pads engaging said vertical portions. '1

l. In a railway car, the combination of a center sill having a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion, a side sill having a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical port-ion, and a unitary cast metal hopper comprising an inside wall and an outside wall, each provided with supporting brackets resting upon said horizontal portions of the center and side sil'l, respectively, and provided withchipping 1mdsengaging said vertical portions of the center sill and side sill respectively.

5. In a railway car, the combination of acenter sill having a substantially horizontal having substantially horizontal lower bearing surfaces.

7. In a railway car, the combination of a unitary cast metal hopper comprising an inside wall and an outside wall, each provided with supporting brackets having substantial- 'ly'horizontal lower bearing surfaces.

8. In a railway car, the combination of a unitary cast metal hopper comprising a substantially vertical inside wall provided'with supporting brackets and provided with chipping pads.

9. In a railway car having a center sill and a side sill, a hopper consisting of a one piece casting comprising opposite side walls and a sloping floor, said hopper resting upon substantially horizontal portions of said sills.

10. In a railway car, the combination of spaced apart sills, each having a substantially vertical portion, and a hopper positioned outside of each sill, each hopper comprising a substantially vertical Wall, a sloping sill cover and means securing the adjacent sill cover portions together, said vertical wall having integral means to adjust the distanc between the sill and the Wall. I

11. In a railway car, the combination of spaced apart sills, each having a substantially vertical portion, and a substantially horizontal part, and a hopper positioned outside of each sill, each hopper comprising a substantially vertical wall, a sloping sill cover and means securing the adjacent sill cover portions together, said vertical wall having integral means to adj list the distance between the sill and the wall, said sloping cover having a bracket resting uponsaid horizontal part of the sill.

12. A cast metal hopper for a railway oar comprising a wall provided with a plurality of parallel ribs to protect said wall when pounded to loosen the load.

13. In a railway car, the combination of a car structural member having a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal part, and a hopper having integral means to adjust the distance between the hopper and the member and having a bracket resting uponsaid horizontal part of the member.

14. In a railway car, the combination of a unitary cast metal hopper having an integral portion resting upon a car part adjacent the side wall thereof whereby the weight of the hopper is primarily supported by said car part.

15. In a railway car, the combination of a unitary cast metal hopper having integral portions resting upon car parts adjacent the side Wall and center construction thereof respectively whereby the weight of the hopper is primarily supported b said car parts.

PAUIJ W. KIEFER. 

